Diversity, Magic and officer safety: Letters

March 25, 2014

Diversity and inequality have become words du jour for too many news writers. Sunday's editorial on court judges, "Florida's courts should reflect state's diversity," follows similar laments on state water-management boards, Orlando voting districts, school-discipline rates and other slices of today's multicultural life.

It's not the pursuit of fairness that bothers me; it's puerile presentation of statistics and conclusions that equality does not exist. The inference seems to be that representative percentages of our changing social stew must be reflected in every governmental, civic and societal activity, or else the ugly hand of discrimination is manipulating the mix.

Why is it mostly Chinese and Italians who run restaurants that reflect their heritage? Why aren't there more Caucasians in the NFL or NBA? Perhaps the answers relate to focus, training and initiative. Doers do, watchers watch, and complainers complain.

Yes, our governor should promote minority representation in appointments, but experience and qualifications are still where the line should be drawn on diversity.

Wayne J. Hunicke Longwood

Magic needs mix of veterans, rookies

I am a devout Magic fan, and I am patient about the development of this new young team.

But, here it comes: This team is poorly coached and is too laden with young, inexperienced players . The Magic have purged numbers of players who have made important contributions to other NBA teams. It is well that we nurture these young players for the future, but there needs to be an intelligent mix of proven experienced players with these rookies, which in itself is an important learning curve.

The coaching staff has done little in these past two seasons to improve this team. We need a new direction on a lot of fronts. I thought after last season we would see some improvement, but it is obvious this has not happened.

Paul Lesight Homosassa Springs

Dig beyond report for inequity answers

The report released Friday by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights ("Education secretary: Report is 'stark portrait of inequity,'" Orlando Sentinel, Saturday) shows black preschool students are suspended more frequently per capita than other students, but it offers no explanation for the stark differences.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder then give the typical administration knee-jerk race-card reaction that this "paints a stark portrait of inequity," which the president wants to solve by throwing money at it.

No surprises there, but what is distressing is that the article does not offer some explanation the DOE didn't bother to look for. If it is a racial-bias problem, it needs to be addressed, but merely alleging it without bothering to investigate only serves to increase tension between the races.

Stephen Bate St. Cloud

Make officers safer

Our community has lost another hero in a senseless encounter.

We may actually find out what happened, because the Windermere Police Department outfits officers with body cameras. I learned this weekend that our Orange County Sheriff's deputies do not have this technology, in part because it would be too expensive.

Hogwash.

If Gov. Rick Scott wants to pander to voters by refunding motor-vehicle fees, may I suggest he rethink this boondoggle and allocate the $400 million to outfit all police officers in our state with the best technology they can have? Help the police take our streets back — now.

Paul Kotzin Orlando

More pressing woes than finding plane

I certainly have concerns for the passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, but I feel the media have been obsessed with the lost aircraft.

I'm aware there were three Americans on that flight, but there were four brave Americans killed at Benghazi by a terrorist raid of our own embassy, and the media didn't appear to be nearly as interested in the raid as in this lost plane.

I believe we should hold down the expense of searching for the plane. Let's be realistic: China has more resources than America, or it wouldn't be lending us so much money. We are overexposed with hordes of experts and their theories.

I believe there are so many more events that are of greater concern to this country than finding this plane, such as the actions by Russia, Iran, North Korea and Syria. How about the economy, the Affordable Care Act and so many other problems the country is facing?

I didn't even mention the huge, out-of-control national debt. Does the media consider that inconsequential?

Phillip Deere Lake Mary

Great NCAA venue

For more than 23 years, I have been attending the early rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament with eight family members and friends. This past week, we were at the Amway Center, and we were impressed with Orlando's wonderful facility, and the nearby restaurants and bars that added to the atmosphere.

More important, we were amazed at the friendliness and smiles from all who worked at the Amway Center. They are real ambassadors for Orlando. No other venue I have been to comes close to Orlando.